Improved metallurgic ftjrwace



. 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. MONTGOMERY.

Metallurgic Furnace.

No. 99,456. I Patented Feb. 1, I870.

ll IIHIIH N4 FETERS, Phom-Lflhagmphnr, Washington, a. c.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. MONTGOMERY.

Metallu rgic Furnace.

Patented Feb. 1, 1870.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. MONTGOMERY-.-

Metallurgic Furnace.

Patented Feb. 1, 1870.

N. wcrzna Fholo-Lilhognphor. Washington, D, c.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4. J. MONTGOMERY.

Metallurgic Furnace. No. 99,456. Patented Feb. 1, 1870.

.idnittll, swag.

JAMES MONTGOMERY/OF SING SING, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No.- 99,456, dated February 1, 1870.

INIPROVED METALLURG-IC FURNACE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all whom it may concern} Be it known that I, J AMES Monreonmnv, of Sing Sing, in the county of Westchester, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Metallurgic Furnaces; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of a furnace of a rn'odi-. fied form;

Figure 4 is a transverse section of the same;

Figure 5 is a top view of thcsamc; and

Figures 7 to 19 show various modifications of a construction of the several parts to be hereinafter explained.

The same letters in all the figures indicate identical parts.

My improvements relate to furnaces for use in metallurgic operations generally, but more especially for making steel, or manufacturing iron from the ores; but the same principles may be applied to the reduction of any other metals or their ores, such as tin, copper, gold, silver, 85c.

My invention consists in modifications in the construction and arrangement of dilferent parts of the furnace, as will be hereinafter particularly specified, whereby the processes 'of treating metals are made more econon'li'cal and also more certain.

In thc'annexcd drawings- A is the portion of the furnace in which the coal is burned. It is fed down from the hearth A into the space at A, immediately above the grate B.

The fuel is introduced through a door, A, filling the space at A, and also covering the hearth A: As the inel is consumed upon the grate bars, that piled upon the inclined hearth A will slide down, and feed the fire upon the grates.

The grates B slide longitudinally upon frictionwheels, being moved by an endless screw, B operating a wheel, B", on the shaft of which is a pinion, B,

meshing into a rack attached to the grate-bars. By turning a handwhecl or gear-wheel on the shaft of the screw B, the grate-bars may be made to move in either direction.

Clhe-water-bridge 1) requires to have the coal constantly banked against it, and it is to secure this end that the grate is given its forward motion; for as the fuel is consumed, the pnddlers assistant, from time to time, turns, or causes to be turned, the mechanism by which the grate-bars are made to slide in the direction of the bridge-wall l), carrying along the mass of coal lying upon the grates, and compressing and piling it against the bridge D, while fresh fuel falls from the hearth 'A to fill the space made vacant by the movement of the grates.

The retraction of the grates brings them back cleaned, and piles the coal against the opposite wall, leaving the grates clear to be recharged with coal.

The blast is directed, by the valve 0, either under the grates or turned upward, and discharged into the furnace above the grates, through the tuyere G, the latter giving a direction to the flame, back and over the water-bridge D, into the lower crucible, or it may be arranged to direct the blast partly above and partly below the grates. The flame reverberates against the wall of the furnace, and is carried over and against the top of the crucible E and diaphragm Gr, its escape into the uptake being regulated by the water-damper H, which is a 'hollow case of iron, filled with water,

supplied through the hollow journals in a continuous stream, the damper being so arranged that it may .close either-the opening above the diaphragm or the opening below the latter, so that, by the damper, the

direction of the draught and the force of the action of the heatupon the. upper face ,of the crucible E and diaphragm G may be'regulated at will.

'lhe crucible is made of fiieclay and fire-bricks. I prefer for this purpose fire-bricks, which have been in use, and which are then ground into powder. crucible is strongly supported by a series of waterarches, I constructed of iron, and protected by firebrick.

The size of the crucible may be increased, as de-' sired, according to the capacity it is designed to give to the furnace. As it is placed immediately above the grate, it receives the direct actionof the heat against its bottom, and also the reverberation of the flame from the top on its upper face. It is consequently heated to the highest possible degree, and the molten metal contained within it consequently maintained in -a very liquid state.

ble, where the purifying-process is completed. This purifying-process will be presently described.

The top I of the furnace is formed by two doors, I 1 hinged at 'i, and which may be simultaneously opened and closed, by means of the rods I fastened thereto, and connected with the piston-rod I" of the steam-cylinder 1 By admit-ting steam into the lower part of the cylinder 1 the piston and piston-rod will be raised, thus opening the doors I and I. Through;

This

the latter, a fresh supply of metal or of ore may be cast into the crucible, or upon the bed. These doors should shut down upon strips of asbestos-paper, or other equivalent elastic and refractory substance, so as to exclude the air-,which, admitted at that point, would injure the metal.

When the doors have been opened, the paddlewheel K is swung into the lower crucible I turning upon the arms K, by means of the rod L and pistonrod L of the cylinder L. v

The rods L are attached to the cross-head L, to which the piston-rod is fastened, and the motion of the piston may be used either to swing the paddlewheel K into the lower crucible or to lift it out thereof, and swing it into the position shown by dotted lines in fig. 1. When swung into the furnace, as soon as it is in place, the pinion K engages a correspond ing one upon the hollow journal of the wheel K, and causes the-paddles K to revolve.

The paddles K are cases made of sheet-metal, or of a refractory material, or of metal coated with such material, and having perfbrations extending through them, through which a strong blast of superheated steam and hot air is driven into the mass of molten metal, said steam and air being supplied through the hollow pipe K, which forms one of the journals of the paddle-wheel, said pipe being connected with the pipe 0, when the paddle-wheel is swung into position in the furnace.

The hollow shaftcarrying the paddles revolves on a slotted pipe, shown in fig. 1, at O, the slot being on the lower side, so that the blast entering through the pipe 0 shall only pass into the paddles immersed in the metal, and not into the fire-chamber through the other paddles. This is shown in detail n fig. 1, a.

The uptake is formed of two hollow tubes, D and I), each being a shell, the latter enclosing water, which, by the heat of the furnace, is converted into superheated steam, and the former enclosing an airchambcr, into which air is pumped under a regulated". pressure, which is indicated by a gauge, which shows the amount of atmospheric pressure, as does also another gauge indicate the pressure of the steam, safety-valves being also used to prevent excess of pressure on each.

The capacity of the air-reservoir D will sufiice to measure the quantity of air forced into the furnace. In order to measure the quantity of steam, it may be drawn into a superheating-chamberof known capacity, and thence drawn from the blast, and meters will be employed to indicate the precise quantities of both air and steam introduced into the iron. .This measure; ment will be especially necessary in the manufacture of line grades of steel, where certainty and uniformity in the process are very important.

The pipe M opens into the air-chamber. The steam and air flowing through the pipes M arid M respectively, are discharged into the pipe 0, the quantity and proportions of each being accurately determined, according to their pressure, by a two-way cock, N.

With the air and steam may be mingled the vapors of petroleum, or other substances, which will produce a favorable action for the purification or decarbonization of the molten metal subjected to their action. This blast of mingled gases or vapors will be driven into the mass of molten metal, through the hollow shaft and perforated paddles of the wheel K, and the agitation of the molten metal, by the revolution of the paddles, will cause the air or other gaseous bubbles contained within the molten metal to be set free, thus saving the necessity of resorting to heating by heavy power-hammers, a process which is, at the same time, laborious, expensive, and incomplete.

When the wheel K is in action within the furnace, the damper H is opened above the diaphragm G, say about one-fifth, so as to throw the heat under the diaphragm and crucible, to promote the-melting of the metal placed thereon; and when the wheel K is removed, the damper H is turned to close the opening into the uptake under the diaphragm, so as to send the heat over the bridge into the lower crucible, and over the upper crucible and diaphragm. The same process is carried on in the crucible E while the metal is being first melted, by introducing a similar blast of air and steam, with or without other vapors, through a hollow rabble, one end of which is introduced into the crucible through an opening left for the purpose, and the other .is connected, by a flexible hose, with a twoway cook or pipe, leading respectively from the chambers D and I). By this process of purification, I am enabled to avoid the heavy work ordinarily required of puddlers in the purification and preparation of iron and steel.

. In the use of this furnace as a puddling-furnace, the iron or ore, placed upon the diaphragm G, is melted by heat ordinarily wasted, and the iron is being melted upon the diaphragm while the puddler is forming the balls in the lower crucible, the hearth of which, in such case, will be made with a very slight curve, to adapt it to the operations of the puddler, so that it is not necessary to wait for new metal to be melted after making up each ball, as a quantity of melted metal is provided in the crucible E, which needs only to be opened, so that the metal may flow upon the lower hearth, the same being already refined by the use of the hollow rabble while in the crucible E, so that it is ready for immediate usehy the puddler, as it is brought to that point of decarbonization, from which it may be, in a small fraction of the time ordinarily required, brought to nature, as technically described.

The external shell of the furnace is formed of iron, constructed with a water-space between the external and internal plates, the steam, formed in which, rises through the water, and ascends into the top of the steam-chamber D, into which the water-spaces open, through proper communications formed between them.

The same principle of construction may, however, be applied to furnaces built of brick, in' the ordinary manner.

In refining iron and manufacturing steel, I sometimes use on the bottom of the lower crucible, and also in the upper crucible, and on the upper diaphragm, pigiron, with puriffingsubstances, such as oxides and car bonates, forthe desulphurization and decarbonization of the metal, and for the removal of phosphorus.

In figs. 3, 4, and 5, I' have shown, in vertical longitudinal, and transverse sections, and in plan, a furnace containing modifications of the form and construction 'of the crucibles.

The lower crucible P is formed with 'an inverted When the wheel K is introduced into the lower cru-- cible P, in this form of furnace, a water-damper, Q, is

used to partly close the draught over the crucible, the heat being directed under the diaphragm G, by turning up the dam per H, as already described in regard to fig. 1.

After the mingled air, steam, and other vapors, have been driven through the orifices in the paddles of wheel K, long enough to complete the purification of the metal in the crucible P, the blast should be shut off, and the damper Q entirely closed, and the wheel K revolved a few moments, so as to expel all the air, gases, or vapors, contained in the molten metal, therefrom, in order that when it is drawn off of furnace, operating upon the same principle, but having a single crucible.

This crucible, represented at E, is formed with a series of vertical fines, 0, through which the ascending current of heat flows upward, being returned through the vertical central flue 0, through which the draught is carried downward, and discharged through the un-- derground flue R.

Above the crucible E is a spider, with hollow arms, turning in a horizontal plane, and from the horizontal arms, pipes are carried down into the crucible, having the lower open end opening backward, through which openings, as well as through a series of openings above, through the sides of the tubes, jets of mingled hot air and steam'are driven in a direction opposite to that in which the arms revolve into the mass of molten metal in which said tubes are revolving In order that the crucible may be recharged, and

the new charge of metal melted, it is necessary that the arms and tubes should be removed outside of the furnace. This is accomplished by means of the polley S and chain S, the latter being attached to the hub of the spider.

The doors in the top of the furnace, being opened, as already described, or by means of the pulley and chain S, the spider T and tubes T may be lifted to the outside of the furnace, and the crucible recharged, and the charge melted, so that the stirrer and-refiner may be again introduced.

The stirrer is revolved by the bevel-gearing T.

The fire is built upon a revolving grate, U, contained in an annular frame, U having spur-teeth on its periphery, and rotated by an endless screw, U*,'deriving its motion from a belt driven by a cone of pulleys, so as to give such speed to the grate as may be required.

The coal is placed in the hopper U, and is fed through the opening U to the revolvinggrate. As this grate revolves .at a greater or less speed, the coal will be drawn down from the hopper, and thus a uniform supply of fuel, and consequently of heat, be maintained, avoiding those considerable variations of temperature, which result in breaking the crucible, and which are incidental to irregular firing.

The modification shown in fig. 9 is a crucible with internal lines. This, of course, could not be used in combination with the stirrer T, but would be used with ahollowrabble, in the manner already described, for the upper crucible E, through which the hot air and steam may be introduced into the mass of molten metal.

In figs. 15, 16, 17, 1S, and 19, I have shown other forms of crucibles, in which they are arranged as shown. These crucibles are intended to be used with a hollow l'ablileonly.

This furnace is conveniently adaptable to man metallurgic operations.

It maybe used in the manufacture of steel or wrought-iron, or it may be used in reducing the ores of iron, lead, gold, tin, silver, copper, &o.

The advantages claimed for it are, that suspending a crucible in a chamber filled with flame, it is equally heated, and the crucible is not exposed to the attrition of the fuel, nor to the action of the fierce tongues of flame, which, jetting from the fuel, melt and bore holes in crucibles, as ordinarily used.

By making the crucibles of fire-clay, I avoid the del-- eterious effects upon the metal of ordinary plumbago crucibles, which recarbonize the metal which has been reducing the ore, refining the metal, and re-refining it for use, together with operations of desulphnrization, decarhonization, and removal of phosphorus, being condu'cted within a single furnace.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A furnace-grate, so arranged and combined with operating-mechanism,that it may be moved under and change the disposition of the fuel, substantially in the. manner and for the purpose'set forth.

2. A crucible for metallurgic uses, constructed sub stantially as set forth.

3. Arranging a crucible within the chamber of a metallurgic furnace above the fuel, and so as to be exposed tothe heat ascending from below, and passing above it with the draught toward the uptake, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a metallurgic furnace, a crucible supported upon water-arches, protected by a refractory material, substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with, and arranged within such a furnace, an upper crucible, E, and lower crucible P, substantially as set forth.

6. The mode of expelling bubbles of air or other gaseous substance from molten metal by the action of revolving paddles, substantially as set forth.

7. The wheel, with hollow shafts, arms, and paddles, and having openings in the latter, when arranged to be rotated within a mass of metal, and in combination with a pipe, through which a blast may be forced into the molten mass, substantially as set forth.

8. The hollow shaft of the wheel K, in combination with the slotted tubular spindle, by which'the blast is directed only into the paddles immersed tn the molten metal, substantially as set forth.

9-. The combination of the wheel K, oscillating arms to which it is attached, and rods and cylinder, by which it is swung into or out of the furnace.

10. The diaphragm G, arranged within the furnace, substantially as'and for the purpose set forth.

11. The combination of the diaphragm and crucible E, arranged in relation to each other within the furnace, substantially as set forth.

12. The section D of the uptake, in combination with the hollow walls of the furnace, so arranged that the steam generated by the heat of the furnace, may

' be retained and superheated in the top of said section D, substantially as set forth.

13. A metallurgic furnace, constructed with a hollow metallic shell filled with water, and protected by a refractory inner lining, substantially as set forth.

14. The air-chamber D surrounding the uptake, for retaining and heating atmospheric air or other gaseous substances, under pressure, in combination with pipes for conducting such air or gaseous substance, or both, and discharging it or them within the mass of molten metal contained in the furnace, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'15. In combination with a metallurgic furnace, an air and steam-chamber, with connecting-pipes and cooks, for discharging steam and air" in regulated quantities into the mass of molten metal contained within the furnace, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

16. The blower-trunk, in combination with the valve placed therein, to regulate the direction of theblast directedupon the fire, and deliver it either below or above the grates, or partly below and partly above, substantially in the manner set forth.

17. A hollow damper, arranged to have a current of water passing through it.

18. In combination with the diaphragm G, the waterdamper H, arranged to operate substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

19. In combination with the lower crucibleP, the

water-damper Q, arranged to operate substantially as. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to set forth. this specification, in the presence of two subscribing 20. In combination with the crucible E, in which witnesses.

the work of purification is performed, hot-air and JAMES MONTGOMERY. steam-chambers, with the regulating-cocks, a flexible hose, and a hollow rabble, for introducing the hota-ir Witnesses and super-heated steam, in regulated quantities, into D. P. HOLLOWAY,

the mass of molten metal contained in the crucible, O. F. OLAUSEN.

substantiallyas set forth. 

